Boris Johnson: US only power able to deliver Syria retribution

Mayor of London Boris Johnson says if the US Congress backs the use of force
in Syria then Britain should look again "at whether or not we should
participate" in military action in the country.

3:31PM BST 03 Sep 2013

The London Mayor of London, speaking on LBC 97.3 radio, said that he believed US politicians would back Barack Obama over the use of force in Syria and Parliament should then "think again" about British involvement there.

Mr Johnson said: "I have been very hostile and sceptical about British involvement in Syria, we all remember what happened in Iraq. But if you see someone gassing innocent civilians, that is a chilling, chilling memory for people in Europe of what happened in the 1930s and 1940s and of the cost of doing nothing."

"What I have said is if it can be proved that it really was the Assad regime that was responsible, and there's more proof, there's more evidence coming in, and if the Americans – who after all are the only real power that has the men and the material to deliver any retribution – can come up with a plan that is coherent, that is limited, that is punitive in some way but does not actually engage the West in some long-term commitment in a Syrian conflict, then I think there is a case for Britain looking again at whether or not we should participate."